Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer container, a developing device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus including any one of the developer container, the developing device, and the process cartridge.
Description of the Related Art
<Cartridge>
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium using electrophotographic image forming process. For example, the image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic copying machine and an electrophotographic printer. The image forming apparatus, e.g., a copying machine using an electrophotographic technology, often includes a process cartridge integrally including image forming process units necessary for image formation, such as a photosensitive drum serving as an image bearing member, a developing device, a charging device, and a cleaning device. With this configuration, replacement of the image forming process units due to the end of a life or the like can be facilitated. A developing cartridge obtained by forming only the developing device into a cartridge has also been used.
A developing device in the process cartridge or a developing cartridge has the following configuration. The developing device includes: a developing sleeve serving as a developer carrier arranged close to a photosensitive drum serving as an image bearing member; and a developing chamber having a developing blade configured to regulate a layer thickness of toner being developer to be carried on a surface of the developing sleeve.
The developing device further includes a stirring chamber serving as a storage portion in which the toner to be supplied into the developing chamber is stored.
An opening serving as a toner supply port is formed between the stirring chamber and the developing chamber. After the toner is filled into the stirring chamber of the developer container, the opening is covered with a sealing member, thereby hermetically enclosing the toner in the stirring chamber of the developer container. In this manner, the toner can be prevented from leaking from the developer container before use.
<Automatic Unsealing of Sealing Member>
When the process cartridge is in a new condition, the process cartridge is used after the opening sealed by the sealing member is unsealed. In recent years, in view of usability, there has been adopted a configuration of peeling the sealing member by only mounting the process cartridge into a main body of the image forming apparatus. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H05-197288, one end of a toner sealing material is fixed to a rotation shaft of a stirring member inside a developer container, and the toner sealing material is automatically reeled up around the rotation shaft along with drive of a main body of an image forming apparatus.
<Sealing of Opening by Sealing Member During Remanufacture of Process Cartridge>
When the used process cartridge is remanufactured, it is important that toner does not leak from the process cartridge to be remanufactured. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H05-027572, a sealing member which can be repeatedly removed and mounted is proposed, and the sealing member can be used during remanufacture. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-140531, there is proposed a remanufacturing method capable of achieving reduction of toner leakage by processing a sealed portion during remanufacture even when a sealing member is not used.
When the process cartridge is remanufactured, it is more preferred that there be not used a special member and a special step for enclosing the toner during remanufacture as proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H05-027572 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-140531.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a developer container enabling a sealing member to seal an opening from an outer side of the developer container.